Conventional keyboard instruments, such as pianos, are generally difficult to master. In addition to basic musical talents, such instruments often require learned musical skills and an exceptional amount of manual dexterity and coordination. Consequently, musicians typically master such instruments only after much practice. In particular, mastery of such instruments is achieved often by individuals who take up the instrument and follow a rigorous practice schedule, especially at a young age. The difficulty associated with mastering such instruments often poses a chilling, impressing and intimidating effect on individuals who have not yet mastered the instrument, but nevertheless like to experience some degree of success in using such instruments to play pleasant sounding music.
The difficulty in adapting keyboard instruments to such individuals has been widely recognized. Hence, many modern electronic music keyboards are often complex machines, which produce a wide variety of sounds, rhythms and accompaniments so that pleasant sounding music may be more easily produced by a user. However, the user is still generally required to master the basic piano-style keyboard by associating musical notes, chords and the like with corresponding music keyboard keys, knowing precisely where each of the keys is located on the keyboard and pressing appropriate keys in real-time.
Various alternate musical notation schemes have been devised to help the user master the basic piano-style keyboard. However, such schemes are generally inadequate in helping the user learn precisely where each key is located. Consequently, various computer keyboard instruments have been devised. Such instruments often attempt to exploit common knowledge that is shared by a vast number of persons concerning the precise location of each of the keys on a computer keyboard. In theory, the computer keyboard knowledge, when optionally coupled with an alternate musical notation scheme, should go a long way toward helping the user to successfully play pleasant sounding music. In practice, however, a more intuitive approach is desired.
What is needed are better, more efficient ways of dealing with the foregoing issues or inconveniences.